AIBU to think I can touch my DP?

DP and I have been together for 4 years. We like to be touching, even sitting side by side eating, I'll put a foot next to his under the table and we always hold hands.

Some of our friends say things like, 'you're going to run away you can stop holding hands now.' or 'Awwww isn't that sweet?' in a way that says they really don't think so. Are we the only ones who do this?

AIBU? What is appropriate affectionate behaviour between a couple in public?

My friends are also shocked at things like kissing when we say goodbye or a brief stroke (on non genital areas) as we go past each other.We've been married 15 years so I can blow raspberries at people who winge

We are very very touchy feely in private but not so much in public. We have separated friends, single friends, friends who have been together years and years and years and do the separate bedroom thing. Canoodling doesn't really seem appropriate in our friendship group, kind of like it'd be rubbing people's faces in our happiness. If we're out alone we indulge a little bit though.

It depends on the situation, if you are holding hands in the street and you bump into your friend, fair enough, but if you are sitting in the pub and have deliberately gone out with friends, or are at a social gathering, I think it's quite rude to hold hands and constantly stay in physical contact, as well as difficult for the other people to respond to, because you are not prepared to strike out as individuals. I am extremely tactile with my DH at home and out for dinner by ourselves, but I tone it down a lot around friends, and if with a single friend, would never start holding hands/gazing/playing footsie, of course it makes them feel uncomfortable.

As for the sitting on laps during dinner, I have a friend who used to do this, how on earth can you have a conversation with a person sitting on another's lap. Incredibly insecure to have to literally sit on top of your partner when in a social situation.

Better than a couple I met once who would, literally, start full on snogging and groping each other whenever someone didn't talk to one of them for longer than about 30 seconds. It was really bizarre. Apparently they were quite well known for being late for everything (because they were held up having sex ) or just disappearing not-so-discreetly to have sex at random times.